Retired teacher's love for cat goes viral on TikTok

Mark Patterson's cat, Juno, was off on her travels when BBC Radio Cambridgeshire visited

A retired teacher whose love for his cat turned him into an online sensation said his furry friend was "completely different from all the other cats".

A video of Mark Patterson from Cambridge describing his love for Juno has attracted more than 2.6 million likes on TikTok.

He had been approached in the city centre by social media personality Joshua Robinson and asked what his favourite name was, giving Juno as his answer.

"Since my wife died, she’s been the only person I’ve shared the house with and I’d be lost without her," Mr Patterson told the BBC.

The former media studies teacher said children were approaching him in the street after the video was uploaded online.

"Twelve-year-olds were coming up and asking about Juno, which was very sweet," he said.

Juno wakes her loving owner up at 05:20 every morning for breakfast

The video, uploaded in 2022 by Mr Robinson, also known as OSHU, saw thousands of comments posted in response.

One user wrote: "Not to be dramatic but I would die for Mark and Juno".

Mr Patterson said Juno was unique because she "always comes to make sure I'm all right".

"Every morning, she presses her very small, black head into my face at exactly twenty past five to tell me it’s time to get up and give her breakfast," he added.

"Her sense of time is extraordinary, she never gets it a minute wrong."

Mr Patterson says Juno "never goes away so I can't find her"

Juno was not at Mr Patterson's home when BBC Radio Cambridgeshire visited.

But the father-of-two was quick to state that, despite her elusive act, he was not concerned about her.

"She never makes a mistake; she never goes away so I can't find her," he said.